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25
Mar

Evil Resume Templates

By RedStarResume No comments yet

templates-icon11-500x288I hate resume templates … and here’s why!

Do a simple search in Google for “Resume Templates” and you will soon find that there are literally thousands of templates that you can copy and use. There are even many companies that sell these exact resume templates online.  As a resume writing specialist, and someone who has worked alongside multinational companies in relation to hiring and candidate selection, I can tell you that not only can I spot a resume template from a mile away, but more importantly it is the first impression I make about the job candidate based on their template.

In the current competitive job environment I can tell you that it takes a lot more than using a generic resume template found on Google. If you have found and downloaded the template imagine, how many people before you have used the exact same one?  Anyone who tells you that a “one size fits all” resume will work for you is wrong and is doing you a massive disfavour.

How should I approach my resume writing?

As a job seeker, you need to promote the skills and achievements that make you unique. As each job seeker is different, there is no formula to follow that will be the same for every person. For example, an entry level candidate or recent graduate will structure their resume completely differently to a senior professional or executive. A graduate with limited work experience needs to highlight their education, university associations, memberships and internships. This type of information needs to appear on page 1 of the resume to capture the reader’s attention as soon as they open your resume.  Although you may have worked in retail or hospitality throughout your degree this information while important, is secondary to your educational information.

An executive resume is completely the opposite. Your education is not as important as your work experience. Executive resume writing is highlighting not just your tangible skills but must include your non tangible skills, such as being a good leader and mentor. As past behaviour is the best indicator of how you will perform in the future, the front page of an executive resume needs to emphasise key achievements. When a hiring manager opens up an executive resume you want them to think “look at all the great accomplishments this person has achieved.”

Final thought:

Most people don’t realise that before a hiring manager has opened your resume it has already passed the first stage of the selection process by passing the “Recruiting Software” test.  Due to the volume of resumes hiring managers and recruiters can receive; many organisations now use recruiting software to help eliminate and select first round candidates. The problem with software programs is that they often don’t read fancy resume templates. Graphics, tables, boxes, fancy font and colours can actually end up looking like one big mess to a computer program.

My advice is simple. Stay clear of resume templates. Most templates have been around for years and years and have been seen hundreds of times by hiring managers. If you want to stand out from the pack, you need to be unique and this all starts with your resume.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

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30
Dec

Google Can Be Your Best Friend Or Your Worst Enemy When It Comes To Job Searching

By RedStarResume No comments yet

google-shows-startups-how-to-master-seo-in-10-minutes-video--2704001fe3I recently “googled” my name and found an assortment of results come up that I didn’t even realize were out there and visible to the public.  Social media sites, registries I created, and websites that I’ve registered on and long forgotten about.  When it comes to job searching, employers are now able to see more about our personal lives than ever before through the internet.  This can either help or hurt us when it comes to applying for jobs.

It is said that an estimated 2 out of 5 companies search the online profiles of job candidates.  As we use more and more social media sites and more tasks are accomplished online, this number is expected to grow.  It’s important that we be aware of the fact that our co-workers, bosses and hiring managers are able to see certain things about us that we might not even realize.  To be prepared, you should do a little research on your online profile and see which websites, profiles and forums of yours are visible to the public.

You should make sure that the online profile you portray to the public matches the image you want to present to potential employers, co-workers and supervisors.  There are a couple of things you can do to help create the image you want to portray through your online profile.  To start, you can review your privacy settings on social media sites and limit the types of information that is visible to the public or to members of the site you’re not connected to. Many sites now allow you to customize the people that can see your posts; however some online forums and web reviews are visible to the public so you should be aware of the things you write about that everyone can see.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy social media sites to share pictures and stay connected to family and friends, but be conscious of what you’re putting out there.  It is becoming more and more common for individuals to create a personal profile as well as a professional one to categorize what types of information are shared with whom.  Creating a separate professional account to social media sites, such as Facebook for example, can be a good idea and a way for you to maintain a professional image while also being able to use these sites for personal enjoyment.  It will allow you to share things with family and friends without worrying about your boss seeing it on Monday or a hiring manager getting the wrong impression of you because he doesn’t know about your sarcastic sense of humor or an inside joke you have going with your friends.

On the other hand, your online profile can enhance your chances at a job if it demonstrates the skills and experiences you have that are related to the jobs you’re applying for.  For example, if you’re applying for a position as a web developer and your blog page is innovative and dynamic, this may show employers that you have what it takes.  In any case, you should make your online profile what you want it to be and not what happens to pop up about you.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

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27
Sep

Tips On How To Make Your Accounting Resume Stand Out

By RedStarResume No comments yet

How to make your accounting resume stand out from the crowd:

The most common questions I receive from accounting students and graduates are “what do I do if my accounting grades are not fantastic?” and “what can I include in my resume that will make it stand out?” The first thing to remember is that most organisations are looking for students and graduates who are willing to learn, are able to be innovative and who work well in a team environment.

My advice for students that don’t have distinction average marks is to focus on highlighting other areas where you can add value to an organisation. Just like the major accounting firms are instant recognisable brands, as a graduate you need to think of yourself as a brand that you are trying to sell to a hiring manager. Think about what makes you unique and how you can sell yourself to that particular organisation. When a hiring manager reads an accounting resume, he or she presumes that all candidates share relatively the same type of skills. In order to stand out, you need to market yourself effectively.

How To Make Your Accounting Resume Stand Out:
Include Accounting Keywords:

With the demand for accounting internships and graduate jobs so high, graduate hiring managers can often receive upwards of 500 – 1000 resumes. As such, many firms now use software programs as a way of performing “first round interviews”. Using selected accounting keywords will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application. The best way to find these keywords is by simply reading the job positions. See what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

Provide Specific Accounting Examples:

Hiring managers hate to read clichéd resumes. It’s boring and adds no value to your resume. Use examples as much as possible to highlight your examples and the value-added skills that you can bring to the job.

Target the Position that you are applying for:

As a graduate (or soon to be graduate), everything you include in your resume needs to reinforce the message to the reader that you are the right candidate for the position. Don’t waste time on information that doesn’t reflect your suitability for this particular position. Being a good skier and having an interest in tennis is not relevant to an accounting job. Although you may not have relevant job experience, you can still highlight relevant skills that you have acquired throughout your university career and target these skills toward the role you are applying for.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

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23
Jul

The Advantages And Benefits of Creating A LinkedIn Profile

By RedStarResume No comments yet

No matter if you’re a current student or graduate or a high flying executive, a professionally written LinkedIn profile can help open up doors to opportunities and networks. Before LinkedIn existed, it was virtually impossible to connect directly with potential hiring managers, bosses or even other individuals who share similar job titles to your own.  With LinkedIn, not only can you create an online marketing profile but with a click of a button you can begin networking.

Creating a positive first impression:

When a hiring manager or recruiter first reads your LinkedIn profile, they will typically make their opinion of you within the first 20 seconds. A professionally written and completed profile that includes up-to-date information about your skills and experience will automatically get the reader’s attention. Including key achievements, examples of projects and value added skills towards the top of your profile will further maintain the reader’s attention and create that positive first impression. Don’t forget to include a picture. This will help to humanise your profile and put a face behind the name. Remember that your picture is a representation of you. If you are applying for a corporate position, a picture of you at 3 o clock in the morning holding a beer will not portray that professional corporate image.

Be Found:

Different companies are now using social networking such as LinkedIn when it comes to hiring or headhunting new talent. A good example is seen within the ultra-competitive credit card industry, where companies who often try to poach talented staff from their competition and the easiest place to find these people are via LinkedIn. Even if you’re not actively seeking a new job, just by having an account could change your career!

Network:

The benefits of LinkedIn are almost endless with no downside to having a LinkedIn profile. Get involved in forums, join groups and meet like-minded individuals like yourself. Best of all LinkedIn is totally free.  Job seeking is a tough business and applying for online jobs each and every day is a job in itself! From a job seeker’s perspective, LinkedIn is another tool that you can use to help get ahead when searching for a new job.

Don’t forget one important aspect. While the advantages and benefits of having a LinkedIn profile can help open up doors to opportunities that may never have existed previously, having an incomplete or unprofessional LinkedIn profile can actually have a detrimental effect and portray a negative impression of being lazy or having a lack of attention to detail. If you choose to create a LinkedIn profile (which I suggest) prepare it properly and utilise everything that LinkedIn has to offer.

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

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13
Jun

Does Your Resume Pass or Fail

By RedStarResume No comments yet

Does your professional resume stand out from the competition? Will your resume meet the expectations of employers or hiring managers or will it end up in the deleted items folder?

Resume writing is an art form and while there are no exact rules that will ensure you get the job, there are plenty of mistakes that you can make that will prevent your resume from being noticed. No matter if you are a recent student or a high flying executive, a compelling written resume that highlights your skills and promotes your talents to the hiring manager will ensure that you give yourself every opportunity of making it to the interview stage.

What will make my resume stand out from the competition?

The most important aspect of resume writing is marketing yourself correctly. Do not waste the reader’s time with irrelevant information that will not aid your job description. Statistically your resume has less than 30 seconds to shine so make sure the most important information is placed on the front page. If you require a certain qualification or licence make sure this is easily located on your resume. The more you make the recruiter or hiring manager work to find your information, the greater chance they will delete your resume.

Replace the Objective Statement with a Qualifications Profile:

Do you have a generic, obsolete and boring objective statement at the top of your resume? Something that reads like: “Self-motivated professional seeking a position with a company where I can develop my career and skills”. If so, remove this immediately and replace it with a qualifications profile or career summary. Rather than telling the reader what you want, tell the reader what you can offer their organisation and therefore why you would be a good fit for this role.

Target the Reader:

As a hiring manager, when I read job candidate resumes, I want to instantly find certain requirements that I am looking for in prospective candidates. For example, if I am hiring a computer programmer and one of the requirements for the job is to be proficient in a range of computing languages such as C, Java, Perl etc. then I expect to see this on page 1 of the resume. By hiding this important information on page 3 is not beneficial for this job application. Employers can often receive hundreds of resumes for a particular job. The harder you make their life, the greater the chance that your resume will be deleted.

Strategic Keywords:

With demand for jobs so competitive, many firms now use software programs as a way of performing “first round interviews”. Using selected keywords will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application. The best way to find these keywords is by simply reading the job positions. See what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!

© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com

Stand Out From The Crowd With A Brand New Resume From RedStarResume:

Specializing In Over 35 Industries! – Turn your resume into an achievement based marketing documents in just 48-72 hours

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19
Mar

RedStarResume New Online BookStore

By RedStarResume No comments yet

With the help of Career Experts, Professional Resume Writers, Hiring Managers and Specialist Job Interviewers, RedStarResume are proud to present three brand new EBooks that have been written to provide you with tips, advice, knowledge and all the little industry secrets that will help you succeed in your career. Job Seeking has completely changed over the past 10 years and finding that perfect job has become harder and harder. On average hiring managers can now receive upwards of 500 – 1000 applications for every job! In order to succeed, your entire job application needs to be 100% spot on. From writing the perfect resume, to answering those hard interview questions – every element of the job search needs to be outstanding!

Interview Secrets Exposed, Resume Secrets Exposed and Career Secrets Exposed are a three part trilogy designed to give you an edge and help you stand out over your competition.

Buy each book separately or buy the books as a package. The choice is yours (Save over 30% when you purchase the Books as a package! )

Click Here and Purchase the Package for only $19.95

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06
Oct

Five Myths About Job Searching:

By RedStarResume No comments yet

#1: The smartest person always gets the job

Definitely not true – companies these days are more interested in the complete worker. Having brains is always an advantage, but it’s not the only thing that hiring managers are looking for. In today’s economy, an employer wants to know that, if required, you are able to complete a wide range of jobs. Having transferrable skills, a can do attitude and a willingness to learn and be involved in all aspects of the business is key to nailing the job interview.

#2: Direct experience is most important

Transferable skills are key. In certain industries the job specification may require direct experience, but in many circumstances being able to show that you have the skills to succeed is just as important. Do not get discouraged if you feel that you lack the right skills to get a new job. Concentrate on the value added skills that you have and highlight these skills on your resume and in the job interview.

#3: Dating a co-worker will lead to career doom

An urban myth. I have even heard of stories where dating the boss has resulted in career success (not recommended!). Always remember to perform your role to the highest quality and it does not matter who you decide to date! (Note – public displays of affection are a big no no! – this type of behaviour is best saved for non-work hours).

#4: Applying for jobs online is the only way to find a new job

Job searching online is one of many different approaches you should take. Before you even begin to apply for jobs, ensure that you have a professionally written resume. No matter how many jobs you apply for, it doesn’t matter if your resume is not selling your skills. With the growth of social networking online, sites such as LinkedIn can be a fantastic way to approach people who you typically could not just pick up the phone and call.

#5: Writing a cover letter is a waste of time

Every time you apply for a job you should accompany your resume with a targeted cover letter. The only exception is when the job specification clearly states not to send a cover letter. Most times a hiring manager will read your cover letter before opening your resume. If your cover letter does not shine, there is a good chance your resume won’t even be opened. You may have the greatest resume written by a professional resume writer, but it means nothing if your cover letter is letting you down.

© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

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23
May

What is the most important aspect of Professional Resume Writing?

By RedStarResume No comments yet

One of the biggest mistakes which candidates make with their resume writing or CV writing is preparing the document from their point of view. I recently sat down with a young lady who had graduated university top of her class and was seeking a role with one of the large law firms. She had written her professional resume and cover letter and was now ready to begin the application process. The resume was perfectly formatted and presented. As a graduate with no prior work experience she focused her professional resume on her academic achievements and also the extra curricular activities and community work she had been involved with over the years. From a readers perspective I was able to gain a very good first impression or insight into this candidate. Everything was perfect besides one major element. At the top of her resume was her name which she had bolded to make it stand out but had also changed the font colour to pink!

Does a Professional Resume have pink colour?

I couldn’t believe my eyes that she had decided to use a pink font on her resume. When I asked her why she had done this she said that she liked the colour and it also made her name stand out.

The most important aspect of writing a professional resume is targeting it towards the person who will be reading the resume. In this situation the hiring manager may be a partner in a law firm. Imagine how seriously a partner will take a resume application which has a potential candidates name in pink.

Another mistake many candidates make is trying to make their resume stand out from their competition by using fancy fonts or borders. A well formatted and presented resume and most importantly targeted resume, will stand out because of its professionalism. A hiring manager can easily identify the difference between a “fraud” resume with “bells and whistles” and a “legitimate” resume.

Ensuring that your resume stands out from the crowd is not about making the document a piece of art. How many times have you seen a resume being framed and hung up on the wall? The aim of the resume is to portray to the reader the value you can offer the business or organisation.

Remember that your resume is the first impression a hiring manager will make. Make sure that your first impression portrays the right professional image.

© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

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Follow our steps and make sure that you are well prepared to answer every possible interview question when the opportunity presents itself. This E-book is a compilation of many months of research and discussions with hiring managers and career experts in recruitment, career counselling and interviews.

The purchase of this E-book is your first step in ensuring that you get the job! Interviewing is all about research, confidence and creating a good rapport. The hiring manager needs to know that you are capable of performing the tasks of the job and also that you will be a good addition to the team.

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15
Mar

10 Seconds for your Resume to Shine

By RedStarResume No comments yet

One of my favourite books is the “The E Myth Revisited” written by Michael Gerber. In the book Michael speaks about the marketing strategy. He quotes

“In a television commercial, we’re told; the sale is made or lost in the first three or four seconds.

In a print ads, tests have shown, 75 percent of the buying decisions are made at the headline alone.

In a sales presentation, data have shown us, the sale is made or lost in the first three minutes”

Same is true for your resume – Reports suggest that a hiring manager will spend no more than 10 seconds reading through your resume before deciding to read on or delete.

Less and less time is being spent reading a persons resume. In today’s society, hiring managers are more interested in eliminating candidates before they begin their pursuit of finding the perfect candidate.

When it comes to writing your resume, remember the golden rule of highlighting your achievements and putting them on the front page. No matter how good your achievements, skills, experience and knowledge if the hiring manager has not found them within 10 seconds than your resume will be deleted – and once it is deleted from the inbox it will never be read again.

Your resume is a marketing document – it’s your marketing tool to sell yourself. First impressions count for a lot and if your resume is being deleted than it will be impossible for you to get the job

Do the small things right and your already half way there to your new job!

Good luck

 

© RedStarResume Publications – www.redstarresume.com

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